1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a lighted shelf assembly for a refrigerator.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Providing adequate lighting in a refrigerator compartment is a long recognized problem. Typically, a light is positioned in an upper portion of the refrigerator compartment and directed downward onto items supported upon refrigerator shelves. Unfortunately, as the number of items introduced into the refrigerator rises, it becomes increasingly difficult to illuminate those items. That is, items placed in an upper portion of the compartment block or prevent light from reaching lower portions of the refrigerator. Thus, while the top shelf is illuminated, items resting upon lower shelves are in the shadows. In order to address this problem, several manufacturers have mounted lighting to an underside of one or more shelves in the refrigerator.
In order to power the lighting, an electrical connection must be established between a voltage (typically a low voltage) source and the shelf. For a stationary shelf, a direct electrical connection between the electrical source and the lighting can be utilized. However, as most refrigerators include vertically adjustable shelves, some form of connector must be employed to join the lighting/shelf assembly with the voltage source at multiple vertical locations. More specifically, as vertically adjustable shelves can be removed, repositioned and remounted at different positions on a shelf support rail, a connector of some form must be incorporated into an interface between the shelf and the support rail to provide a pathway for electricity to reach the lighting. Actually, multiple connections must be employed so that the shelf is connected to the electrical source at every possible vertical position.
The prior art contains several examples of lighted refrigerator shelves that employ some form of connector. The connectors disclosed in the prior art generally include a first portion provided in a shelf support element and a second portion incorporated into the shelf support rail. With this arrangement, an electrical connection is established between the voltage source and the lighting regardless of the position of the shelf along the shelf support rail. That is, each time the shelf is moved to a different vertical position, the connector on the shelf support plugs into a connector on the shelf support rail to establish an electrical connection. While effective, providing a distinct electrical connection at each possible vertical height position increases the cost and complexity of the refrigerator. Moreover, the above-described electrical connections cannot accommodate lateral movement of the shelf.
Therefore, despite the presence of lighted, adjustable refrigerator shelves in the prior art, there still exists a need for an enhanced adjustable, lighted refrigerator shelf. More specifically, there exists a need for an adjustable lighted refrigerator shelf which requires a minimal number of electrical connection points while still enabling the shelf to be selectively vertically and/or laterally repositioned in the refrigerator.